Back Home after Surviving the Waitukubuli National Trail

Waitukubuli National Trail in Dominica

I got back from Dominica 3 days ago. It was a very unique experience. The Waitukubuli National Trail was both fun, frustrating, and dangerous. It took me 13 days to complete all 14 segments, and it was by far the hardest hike I’ve done. I slipped and fell many times, and broke both of my hiking poles.

Dominica is a very raw country, not as developed for tourism as some of it’s more famous Caribbean neighbors. This can be both a good thing and a bad thing.

Also looking forward to your account of the hike, as you say, there isn’t a whole lot of info on it. I’m a hiker, but my girlfriend is not, and I’m eyeing this trail as her intro into the long distance hiking world. She’s from the Caribbean so it might ease the transition. 🙂

Having to take a bus or hike to accommodation at the end/beginning of the day is a bit of a drag though. Could you elaborate more on that?

Sorry for the delay on my WNT journal, I’ve been very busy since I came back home.

I don’t know who designed the segments of the trail, but most of the segments end in spots where one cannot camp (lack of flat spots and water access) or get accommodation (no hotels, campgrounds, guesthouses, etc). It would have made more sense if each segment ended in a populated area, allowing that area to develop businesses that cater to hikers and tourists.

Because of this, sometimes the only option is to hitchhike or catch a minibus to the closest town.